Gas cannon



June 24, 1930. c. c. BLACKMORE GAS CANNON "3 Sheets-Sheet.

Filed Feb. 1, 1929 Jvwmln/ OHARLES came/(mom; 5y

June 24, 1930- c. C. BLACKMORE 1,765,562

GAS CANNON Filed Feb 1 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 rwm OHAKLES C. BLHCKMORE,

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June 24, 1930.

GA'S CANNON c. c. IBLACKMORE Filed Feb. 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I Patented June 24, 1930 messes TENT rricr.

CHARLES C. BLACKMORE, OF DAYTON, OHIO GAS CANNON My invention relates to gas cannons, particularly adaptable for toys.

It is the object of my invention to provide a gas cannon inwhich the generation of the and the conveying oi the materials to a gas forming chamber will be remote from the chamber of the gun.

My object is to provide a gas gun having the safety feature of complete delivery of materials and generation of the gas remotely from the gun chamber as distinguished from that classof gas guns and cannons where the is generated in the chamber of the gun.

It is a further object to provide means of exactly measuring the quantity of carbide and other gas forming material which is to be delivered to the gas forming chamber without using any moving parts for such meas- '0 urement like valves, etc.

It is a further object to provide such a measuring means in combination with a ventilation means to insure positively the ventilation of the gun or cannon between each measurement and delivery of gas forming material to the gas chamber.

It is an additional object to provide a gas forming chamber which carries water or other cooperating'gas forming material that can be detached front the cannon and thoroughly cleaned. I

Heretoiore, carbide gas cannons have quickly become useless because the accumulation of precipitate, which rapidly hardens in the air iendering the gun useless.

It is a further object to provide a gas cannon in which the charge can be ignited by a fulminate cap. 7

It is an object to provide such a cannon in which the charge can be ignited by py ro phoric metal or a fulminate cap at the optlon of the user. r

I It is an important object of my invention to provide a striking hammer and lanyard for remote firing of the cannon to insure the removal of the child at some distance from the cannon before it is fired.

It is my object to provide a gas-formingchamber which is suspended at some distance fromthe cannon so that all the gas must Application filed February 1, 1929. Serial No. 336,816.

be generated remotely from the interior of the cannon and then delivered in gaseous form to the barrel of the gun or cannon.

Referring to the drawings: Figurel is a plan view or" the cannon; Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a sect-ion on the line 3-8 of Figure 1;

Figure at is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; '60" Figure 5 is a section taken vertically through a modified form of firing mechanism showing the use of pyrophoric metal;

Figure 6 is a section through a modified form of carbide delivery mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 is the trail of the gun mounted upon the axle'Q- which is supported by the wheels 3. The trunnion of the gun is designated 4. The gun. or cannon barrel 5 is provided with stub axles 6 which are mounted in this trunnion.

The gun barrel is provided with a tilting cover designated 7 that is pivoted at 8 to the gunbarrel. This cover forms the upper partof the gun barrel. The rear end of this cover is provided with a locking mechanism to lockthe cover to the remainder of the barrel in gastight engagement. This locking mechanism consists of a locking handle 9 operating a locking shaft 10 having a locking lug 11 projected inwardly to a slotl2. This lug is semicircular'so that, upon rotation, it may be moved into or out of engagement with the slot 12 as desired.

The cover is provided with a storage chamber 18 in which a supply of carbide 14 in granular form is inserted through a rearwardly-disposed opening closed by the screw plug 15. The forward'end of the chamber 13 is formed into a measuring chamber 16 which 9'0 is adapted, When filled, to contain enough carbide to form one complete charge.

This filling of the chamber 16 takes place when the cover 7 is elevated into its vertical position. Thus, the charging can only be secured by this elevation of the cover '2 and when the cover 7 is so elevated the gun is automatically opened and ventilated.

l/Vhen the cover is lowered, the charge of carbide thus measured in the chamber 16 descends by gravity through the opening 17 into passageway 18 which extends downwardly through the gun barrel to a point within the carbide discharge passageway 18 which is remote from the gun barrel and communicates with a remote gas forming chamber 19 that is formed by the sliding water trough 20. V

This water trough is provided with side flanges 21 which travel in grooves 22 formed by the shoulders 28 and that are formed on the depending ends of the carbide passageway 18 and the gas delivery passageways 25 and 26 which are in open communication with the water chamber and the gun barrel at their respective ends. When the carbide is deposited in the water, gas is formed in this remote chamber and after having been generated it passes into the gun barrel where it 7 is ignited, as will 3e hereinafter described.

A modified form of this construction is shown in Figure 6. Instead of having one chamber 13 in the cover 7, I provide two one on either side. These chambers comn'iunicate thron -h )assa ewa s 17 with arcuate O a s passageways 2r passing around the outslde oi the gun barrel and discharge into the passageway 18. Thence, the carbide drops into the water chamber 20, forming within that chamber space 19 which passes upwardly through the screen 28 into the interior of the gun where it is fired.

Firing mechanism It is highly desirable in handling of gas guns and cannons of this general type that spring 38 carried in the cylinder 34 which operates the plunger 35 that is pivotally conpiece 38.

nected at 86 to an eccentric 87. Thus, the firing hammer is held in position and may be fired by pulling the lanyard or may be coclred by pressing downwardly upon the thumb The hammer is provided with a hammer head 39 w iich impinges upon the firing pin 40. This firing pin 10 has a firing head 41 located within a firing chamber 12 which is a cup-like structure attached by bolts 43 to the breech of the gun. The cup is open at the top so that a tulminate cap such as used in toy pistols may be dropped into the firing cup 12 and located between the wall of the cup and the firing head 41. When the cap is exploded the gas which is present in the chamher is ignited. There is also an orifice in the chamber through which communication of the explosion to the gas may be had.

V hen it is desired to use pyrophoric metal,

Method of operation The cover 7 is first elevated to measure a 'charge in the chamber 16. The cover is then lowered and locked. iVhen the cover is lowered the charge passes from the chamber 16 through the passageways 17 and 18 into the chamber 19 where gas is formed. This gas chamber being remote from the gun, the

gas in it mixes with the oxygen in the pas sageways 25 and 26. The gas thus thoroughly mixed ready for firing passes through these passageways into the gun.

A cap has already been inserted in the firing cup or the head 17 has been put in the dotted line position as shown in Figure 5. The lanyard is then pulled and the firing pin with its head il either explodes the cap or forces the head 4%? forwardly drawing the saw 45 across the pyrophoric metal to get the necessr 'y sparking result.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a gun barrel, a cover therefor having a measuring chamber therein for forming material, means for conveying gas forming material from said chamber to a point remote from the gun barrel, means for carrying liquid remote from the gun barrel, and gas conveying means for conveying gas therefrom to the gun barrel.

2. In combination, a gun barrel, a remote gas forming chamber, gas passageways connecting said chamber to the gun barrel, and measuring means for measuring a predeterained charge of gas forming material to be delivered to the gas forming chamber, and means for conveying by gravity said gas forming material.

In combination, a gun barrel, a cover therefor adapted when elevated to ventilate the barrel, a measuring chamber in said cover, means connecting said measuring chamber with a water chamber, a remotely located water chamber, and means of conveying gas therefrom to the gun barrel.

l. In combination, a gun barrel, a cover therefor, a measuring chamber adapted to be filled when the cover is elevated, a discharge passageway therefrom adapted to discharge llO the measured contents of the measuring chamber when the cover is lowered.

5. In combination, a gun barrel, a cover therefor, a measuring chamber adapted to be filled when the cover is elevated, a discharge passageway therefrom adapted to discharge the measured contents of the measuring chamber when the cover is lowered, a water and gas forming chamber adapted to receive said measured charge at a point remote from the gun barrel, and gas conveying means from the water chamber to the gun barrel.

6. In combination, a gun barrel, a cover therefor, a measuring chamber adapted to be filled when the cover is elevated, a discharge passageway therefrom adapted to discharge the measured contents of the measuring chamber when the cover is lowered, a water and gas forming chamber adapted to receive said measured charge at a point remote from the gun barrel, and gas conveying means from the water chamber to the gun barrel, means to lock said cover to the gun barrel in material discharging posit-ion.

7. In combination, a gun barrel, a cover therefor pivoted thereon, a storage chamber in said cover, a measuring chamber in said cover, a discharge passageway from said measuring chamber to a point remote from the gun barrel, a water chamber in communication therewith remote from the gun barrel, a gas passageway connecting the water chamber and the gun barrel.

8. In combination, a gun barrel, a cover therefor pivoted thereon, a storage chamber in said cover, a measuring chamber in said cover, a discharge passageway from said measuring chamber to a pointremote from the gun barrel, a water chamber in communication therewith remote from the gun barrel, a gas passageway connecting the water chamber and the gun barrel, and means for slidably and detachably supporting said water chamber for its removal, cleaning and replenishment.

9. In combination, a gun barrel, a carbide chamber forming a cover therefor, means to lock said cover to close the gun barrel, means upon opening the cover to measure a charge of carbide, means on closing the cover to dis charge the measured charge of carbide to a remote gas forming chamber, a remote gas forming chamber, and means of conveying the gas so formed to the gun barrel.

' 10. In combination, a gun barrel, a tilting cover having longitudinally disposed carbide storage chambers, a measuring chamber at the end of each storage chamber which is lower when the cover is elevated, said storage chamber having an open bottom through which its contents discharges when the cover is in closed position, a tubular member connected therewith passing through said gun barrel to a point outside thereof, a passageway into which said tubular member is pro-, jected, a slidable water chamber connected thereto, gas passageways connected thereto and to the gun barrel.

11. In combination, agun barrel, a cover having a carbide storage chamber,- a dis charge opening from one end thereof, a passageway leading around said gun barrel, a water chamber remote from the gun barrel communicating with said passageway .and a gas passageway conveying gas from the water chamber-to the gun barrel.

12. In combination, a gun barrel, a .cover having a carbide storage chamber, a discharge opening from one end thereof, a passageway leading around, said'gun barrel, a water chamber remote from the gim'barrel communicating with said passageway and a gas passageway conveying gas from the water chamber to the-gun barrel, said water chamber being slidably mounted on the gas conveying passagewa 13. In combination, a gun barrel, a cover having spaced carbide chambers, means of pivoting said cover on the gun barrel, carbide conveying passageways registering with openings in the carbide storage chambers when the cover is closed for delivering carbide accumulated in a measured quantity in the ends of said chambers, a suspended water chamber adapted to receive said carbide re mote from the gun barrel, and means for conveying gas formed remote from the gun barrel into the gun barrel, and means for firing the gascharge.

14;. In combination, a gun barrehmeans for forminga gas charge remotely therefrom, means of .measuring a gas forming charge and ventilating the gun simultaneously, means of delivering the gas forming charge .and closing the gun simultaneously, and

means of firing the gun when the gas charge has been delivered to the gun.

15'. In combination, a gun barrel, means for forming a gaschargeremotely therefrom, means of measuring a gas forming charge and ventilating the gun simultaneously, means of delivering the gas forming charge and closing the gun simultaneously, and means of firing the gun when the gas charge has been delivered to the gun, said firing means being adapted to be operated remotely from the gun.

16. In combination, a gun barrel, aplur'ality of tubular members vertically disposed beneath the barrel communicating with the barrel, and a remote chamber, a detachable water cup mounted on the lower ends of said tubular members forming the gas chamber, a cover means for the gun barrel forming a carbide storage and measuring means so arranged to measure the carbide when the cover is elevated and to discharge the carbide to the water chamber when it is closed, and

means of conveying the carbide to the Water chamber when the cover is closed.

17. In a gas gun, a firing mechanism comprising a gun barrel, a firing cup, a firing pin having a head within said cup, and a firing hammer exterior of the gun barrel adapted to engage the projecting firing pin.

18. In a gas gun, a firing mechanism comprising a gun barrel, a firing cup, a firing pin having a head within said cup, and a firing hammer exterior of the gun barrel adapted to engage the projecting firing pin, and yielding means for maintaining said firing hammer in cooperative position or force it into operative position and a remotely controlled lanyard for moving the firing hammer into operative position.

19. In a gas gun, a firing mechanism comprising a gun barrel, a firing cup, a firing pin having a head within said cup, and a firing hammer exterior of the gun barrel adapted to engage the projecting firing pin, and yielding means for maintainlng said firing hammer in cooperative position or force it into operative position and a remotely controlled lanyard for movingthe firing hammer into operative position, a second pin having a head in said firin cup, said second pin projecting into the gun barrel, pyrophoric metal held adjacent to said pin, and means on the surface of said pin for drawing sparks from the metal.

20. In a gun, a firing mechanism comprising a gun barrel, a firing cup, a firing pin projecting from the outside of the gun barrel to a point within the cup, a firing head, a second firing pin projecting through the cup into the gun barrel having means on said pin for drawing sparks for pyrophoric metal, a head on said second firing pin incs'aid cup adapted to be engaged by the first mentioned head and pyrophoric metal associated With the second pin.

21. In a gas gun, a firing mechanism comprising a gun barrel, a firing cup, a firing pin projecting from the outside of the gun barrel to a point within the cup, a firing head, a second firing pin projecting through the cup into the gun barrel having means on said pin "for drawing sparks for pyrophoric metal, a head on said second firing pin in said cup adapted to be engaged by the first mentioned head and pyrophoric metal associated with the second pin, said second pin having a passageway through it and its head communicating with the interior of the cup, and means for spring pressing the pyrophoric metal into engagement with the second firing pin.

In testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature.

CHARLES C. BLACKMORE. 

